Hundreds of girls and boys under 10 are going into hospital with self-inflicted injuries and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

"Official figures showing a rise in self-harm and eating disorders among children follow a warning that many youngsters are depressed and obsessed with their appearance.

The Children's Society has said that three million children in Britain regularly feel depressed because of peer pressure and the need to conform to impossible ideals dictated by modern celebrity culture.

Statistics from the Department of Health show that more than 3,800 people under 18 have been admitted to hospital with eating disorders in the past four years, with the number of cases increasing in that time by almost 10 per cent. Among them were 270 boys and 163 girls under 10."